India pitches for integrating South Asian economies

India on Friday pitched for integration amongst Asian,and especially South Asian,economies in a big way,as both External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon addressed the issue in two separate forum.

Krishna,who was speaking at the Institute of South Asian Studies in Singapore,said that integration with Indias neighbours is one of the most significant challenges facing New Delhis current foreign policy. In our immediate neighbourhood of South Asia,India has been driven by the vision of encouraging regional integration to bring about peace and prosperity for more than one and a half billion people living in this region. As a part of this vision,India has been implementing a policy of asymmetric engagement in providing greater market access to our neighbours,which enables integration in a mutually beneficial manner. This is one of the most significant challenges facing our foreign policy today, he said while delivering a speech on Indias External Environment and Current Foreign Policy Challenges.

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Menon,while speaking at the Asia Relations conference at Sapru House here,said that South Asian countries must not let political differences stop the process of South Asian integration. It certainly means that we must not let political differences and fears stop the processes of South Asian integration. At the same time,states in the sub-region must begin to meaningfully address and resolve the political issues and disputes that divide them, he said while speaking on Transforming South Asia: Imperatives for action. The conference was organised by Indian Council of World Affairs and Association of Asian Scholars.